37 Facts About Frederick Weld

Sir Frederick Aloysius Weld, was an English-born New Zealand politician and colonial administrator of various British colonies and territories located in Oceania and Southeast Asia.

Frederick Weld was the sixth Prime Minister of New Zealand, and later served as Governor of Western Australia, Governor of Tasmania, and Governor of the Straits Settlements.

Frederick Weld's father, Humphrey Weld of Chideock, was a member of the Weld family.

Humphrey's father Thomas Frederick Weld donated the land and endowed the Jesuit college at Stonyhurst.

Frederick Weld's upbringing was strongly grounded in the Roman Catholic faith.

Frederick Weld had originally intended to pursue a military career, but was convinced otherwise by his tutor at Fribourg.

Frederick Weld instead decided to seek a career in the British colonies, and arrived in Wellington, Colony of New Zealand, on 22 April 1844.

Frederick Weld found a life of agricultural management to be too mundane and soon became active in political concerns.

Frederick Weld later became active in lobbying for representative government in New Zealand.

In 1848, Frederick Weld declined an offer by the Governor of New Zealand, Sir George Grey, of a seat on a proposed nominee council.

Frederick Weld became a member of the 1st Parliament as the representative of Wairau, an electorate in the northeast of the South Island; he was declared elected unopposed.

On this spectrum, Frederick Weld established himself as a moderate centralist, although he tended to oppose the extremes of either side.

Frederick Weld was a member of the brief "cabinet" formed around James FitzGerald.

Frederick Weld resigned from Parliament in June 1855, a short while before the end of its first term, returning to England for a brief time.

Frederick Weld briefly returned to England again in late 1858 to marry his second cousin, Filumena Mary Anne Lisle Phillipps, daughter of Ambrose Lisle March Phillipps De Lisle and a great grandchild of the 4th Baron Clifford of Chudleigh like Weld, with whom he would have thirteen children.

In 1860, Frederick Weld was invited to join Edward Stafford's government, taking over responsibility for Native Affairs from William Richmond.

Frederick Weld unexpectedly lost the 1861 election in Wairau against William Henry Eyes, but due to the staggered election dates successfully stood in the neighbouring Cheviot electorate a fortnight later, where he defeated Charles Hunter Brown.

Frederick Weld lost his ministerial position when the Stafford administration was defeated.

In 1864, the government of Frederick Weld Whitaker resigned due to disputes with the Governor.

Frederick Weld, believing that it was British ineptitude that caused conflict with the Maori in the first place, strongly objected to Grey's demands that Parliament should fund the troops.

Frederick Weld instead believed that British troops should be removed from New Zealand altogether, and be replaced by local forces.

Frederick Weld, suffering from poor health and stress, retired from politics in 1866, and returned to England the following year.

Frederick Weld immediately embarked on a series of tours of the state, which saw him travel about 1,200 miles on horseback in his first six months in office.

Frederick Weld oversaw the establishment of a steamship service along the coast, and the beginnings of a rail system.

Frederick Weld saw his appointment to the governorship as a mandate to institute similar constitutional changes to that achieved in New Zealand.

At the first opportunity, Frederick Weld introduced a Bill which provided for the election of 12 Members of the Legislative Council, to sit with six official and nominee members.

The Colonial Office were strongly against granting responsible government, and were critical of Frederick Weld for allowing the situation to arise.

In 1874, Frederick Weld went on leave to New Zealand to look after his partnership affairs.

Frederick Weld is said to have remarked, upon his departure, "At last she moves", in reference to the improvements he perceived in Western Australia.

Frederick Weld found the role much less taxing than in Western Australia, as Tasmania already had responsible government and his main duty was to preside at meetings of the Executive Council.

Frederick Weld was a devout Catholic all his life, and the Pope made him a knight of the Order of Pius IX.

In 1880, Sir Frederick Weld arrived in the Straits Settlements.

Frederick Weld began to take personal interest in the development of the Malay States.

Sir Frederick Weld was in Taiping again in 1883 where he "inspected everything".

Frederick Weld spent time going down the Port Weld railway line, then in the course of construction, "on a truck behind the Engine".

Frederick Weld put into effect plans to build a telegraph line along the road linking Taiping with Province Wellesley.

Frederick Weld finally retired from political life in 1887, although he remained active in other fields of work.